There are two major technology development projects which are underway. They are inter-related and necessary for the other to advance. First, to answer questions about various outstanding technology gaps, a small-scale experimental ocean current research turbine is under development. However, to safely operate a turbine, even at small scales and while being towed, operators must have real-time information available about the turbine’s performance to make responsible decisions to identify problems and how to avoid damage to either the turbine or the surrounding environment. Therefore, an intelligent monitoring system is being developed which not only satisfies safety and control needs, but also provides a unique opportunity to begin developing monitoring systems which will assess the reliability of commercial turbines.